Snapshots
by DobbyRocksSocks
Summary: Bucky doesn't know what Christmas looks like in the new life he's settled into. The new family he's found in the Avengers show him just what Christmas can be.


**Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.**

 **Challenges listed at the bottom.**

 **Word Count** \- 5762

* * *

 **Snapshots**

* * *

"Come on, come and get your name out of the hat," Tony called, walking into the compound living room waving a santa hat around.

Clint cheered, hopping over the back of the sofa to go first. He glanced at his name and grinned. "Awesome."

Nat and Steve came next, each looking happy at the names they'd pulled. Steve ruffled Tony's hair happily before he moved away.

"What did I do to deserve that?" Tony squawked, waving the hat at Bruce, Thor and Sam who were sprawled together on the largest sofa. They each chose a name out of the hat, and Tony practically pranced over to the other sofa where Bucky was sitting, watching on with interest.

Tony held the bag out to him. "Go ahead, RoboBuck. Pick a name out of the hat."

Bucky looked from the hat to Tony and raised his eyebrow. "What am I picking a name out for?"

"Secret Santa."

Bucky blinked. "Why is Santa being secret?"

Tony looked confused for a moment. "Right. Years as an ice cube. We had to explain this to Steve too. Secret Santa is a… thing? You chose a name out of the hat and keep it secret and then get your one person something awesome."

Bucky nodded slowly and reached his hand into the hat, pulling out a slip of paper. He glanced at the name, swallowed hard and then stuffed the paper into his pocket. Tony took the last paper out of the hat, grinned at it and followed suit, tucking the paper away for safekeeping.

The others returned to whatever they'd been doing, and Tony remained at Bucky's side, frowning as he saw Bucky getting more and more tense.

"What's the matter, Snowflake?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know how to… Christmas?" Bucky asked, looking at Tony with such a lost expression that it actually hurt Tony's heart. "Everything seems so different than what it was when I was a boy but I don't… I don't want to mess up, you know?"

"You can't really mess Christmas up, Buck," Tony said. "It's… Christmas is literally different for everyone. There's people that go all out and make a massive deal about it, and then there's people who don't even really acknowledge it as a thing, and then there's just about everything in between."

"I tried to google," Bucky admitted. "But I just ended up spiralling into confusion and it hurt my brain."

"Is that was caused the Starkpad's sad and unfortunate death?"

Bucky looked down at his hands and nodded.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Tony assured him. "We can figure this out, Buck, don't worry about it, okay?"

"I just…" Bucky shrugged. "Stevie loves Christmas. I don't want to ruin it for him, you know, the first Christmas we have together for decades."

"Leave it with me," Tony murmured, patting Bucky's thigh. "I'll fix this, just you wait and see."

Bucky's hopeful eyes only made Tony more determined that this would be the best Christmas ever; for all of them.

…

Tony almost had a heart attack. He'd been rocking out to Iron Maiden, as you do, minding his own business when he turned and found a super soldier sitting on his lab sofa, watching him with an amused smile.

"Jesus Christ on the cross, Steve!" Tony exclaimed, raising his hand to his chest. " _I have a heart condition_!"

"I tried to get your attention when I came in," Steve said, still smiling. "You were just so absorbed in what you were doing that… you didn't hear me?"

"So… you just… sat down to wait?"

Steve shrugged. "Seems about right, yeah? Also might have videoed your air guitar."

Tony sighed. "Of course you did. What can I do for you, Cap?"

"I just… wanted a moment."

"Fair enough," Tony replied with a shrug. "Something happen or just one of those days?"

"I don't know," Steve murmured, running a hand through his hair, his amusement forgotten. "I guess I just… I'm tired. Buck's doing so well but… how can I reassure him that he's doing just fine? He's so scared of messing something up that he's scared to try anything."

"Is this about the Christmas thing?" Tony asked, sitting down on his lab stool. "Cause he mentioned that to me."

Steve nodded. "We used to spend Christmas together when we were kids, and right up until Buck got called up. I think… he seems to think that he needs to be perfect, to give that back to me but… I just want him to have fun. And I don't know how to do that without overwhelming him."

"Well," Tony said, pointing a screwdriver at Steve. "You don't need to stress about this. I have a plan."

"I just got chills."

"You're a jackass."

Steve laughed. "What's your plan?"

"I'm going to show Bucky all the glorious things Christmas has to offer in the run up. Sort of like his very own twelve days of Christmas, you know? You remember your first year here, and we did all the fun things?"

Steve nodded, smiling fondly.

"Okay, so like that, but I'm going to make most of it a team affair. I have a schedule and everything. We're going to show him a proper family Christmas… Avenger style."

"That… sounds perfect," Steve admitted. Tony grinned.

"Of course it does, it's me. When do I have bad ideas? _No, Steve, do not answer that it was rhetorical._ "

"Of course it was," Steve muttered, rolling his eyes fondly. "So, what's first?"

"Nuh uh. Surprises for all. Don't think you get sneak peaks just cause you're one of my best friends."

The beaming smile on Steve's face was so bright, Tony almost felt the urge to look away. Instead, he blushed faintly when Steve replied, "You're one of my best friend's too, Tony."

"Uh huh. Okay, enough mushy crap. Since you're here, you can loan me your super soldier strength for a while."

"Sure, Shellhead. Where d'ya need me?"

Tony smirked. "That's such a dangerous question, Cap."

The blush on Steve's cheeks made Tony laugh out loud.

…

"Jarv, have the team assemble in the living room, would you?" Tony requested as he entered the compound. Behind him, a team of workers followed him in a line, each hefting heavy boxes.

By the time the team started entering the room, there was a stack of boxes and three men hauling a huge Christmas tree into the room.

"What's going on?" Clint asked, raising his eyebrow.

Tony blinked. "Really? Really, Merida? There's a huge ass tree in the living room, it's December, and you're asking me what's going on?"

Natasha and Sam chuckled, making Clint pout.

"Decorating party!" Tony announced, when Bucky and Steve entered last. "Those boxes," he said, pointing to one stack, "are tree things. The other stack is… other decorating things."

"Other?" Steve asked, raising his eyebrow. "What kind of _other?"_

"Wall things. And ceiling things. And moving, singing, dancing things?" Tony replied, raising his hands in a 'what can ya do' gesture. "Thought if we were going to decorate, we might as well do it properly, right?"

"Uh huh. Well then," Steve said, looking around at the team. "Who's doing what?"

"Tree first," Tony said. "Everyone gotta do the tree, it's a thing."

Steve nodded, and opened the first box, smiling when he saw the many tiny string lights. "Lights go on first, right?"

"Yep," Tony replied with a nod. "I'll leave the lights to those of you that can actually, you know, reach the top of the tree. C'mere, Merida, Nat, Buck, Brucie. Help me go through the baubles. There's… a lot."

Nat snorted. "Of course there is."

"Music, J," Tony requested, and immediately the silence was broken by Mariah Carey. It played softly, enough so that they could still hear each other talk over it.

"Tony… are _all_ of these baubles Avenger themed?" Clint asked, his grin wide.

"Of course they are. As if you thought they'd be anything else."

"You're my favourite," Clint laughed, pulling out a bright purple Hawkeye bauble with an arrow across the front. "You're literally the king of Christmas."

"I love this time of year," Tony replied, handing over a widow bauble for Nat to look at. "Also, also and," he added excitedly as he opened a new box, "Look at these, Snowflake! Winter baubles for you!"

Bucky's lips tilted up as he examined the Winter Soldier baubles. "Where do you even get these?" he asked, gesturing to the many boxes.

"I buy them. From places," Tony hedged.

Nat stared at him for a long moment. "You had at least half of these made, didn't you?"

"Hush. Sort," Tony muttered, blushing. He glanced over to see Bruce watching him with a soft smile, his own baubles in his hands. While there were of course Hulk themed baubles, Tony had made sure to get Bruce themed ones too.

"Thank you," Bruce mouthed silently, and Tony winked at him.

They sorted in silence for a while, until the lights were on the tree. Then it was a free for all, finding empty branches to loop the bauble strings on.

"It's perfect," Steve said, stepping back, looking at the tree with awe.

Tony shook his head. "Not quite."

He opened the last box, a smaller one that he'd left purposefully to the side. He carefully pulled out the star for the top of the tree, grinning widely when the others all gasped. It was a stunning star, and in the middle of it, the A that marked the Avengers was prominently displayed in red.

Tony offered the star over Bucky.

"Go ahead, Snowflake. Put the star on the top."

"Maybe… maybe someone else should do that?" Bucky suggested, shrinking in on himself slightly.

Tony shook his head. "It's your turn this year. Go ahead, put it up there."

Bucky took the star and so carefully, he attached it to the top of the tree. When he stepped back, it was with a small smile on his face.

"Now it's perfect," Tony announced.

…

Bucky stared around at the lights, almost hypnotised by the many patterns and colours. Tony, Sam, Steve and Nat all walked around him, almost like a shield without being too regimented.

They talked amongst themselves happily, one of them occasionally slipping away for a certain shop.

Bucky realised quickly what they were doing and it just made him love them more. When he'd first started leaving the compound, he'd found their human shield routine slightly oppressive, and often felt like they were doing it because they didn't trust him not to flip out and turn back into a murderous nutcase but now he knew that wasn't the case.

They did it to protect _him._

To make him feel _safe_ without the confines of the compound.

He appreciated it even more so in the Christmas rush. He didn't think he'd ever seen so many people dashing around the shops, many of them looking harried and stressed out, carrying far more bags than could be comfortable for their arms.

"There's a lot to be said about online shopping," Tony commented, probably noticing the way Bucky was watching the people. "This is… messy."

"Why are we here then?" Bucky asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Christmas shopping is a thing," Tony replied with a shrug.

Bucky snorted and shook his head. When Tony had said that he'd 'fix things' for Bucky, Bucky had had no idea it would amount to this. There were apparently lots of 'things'.

He couldn't say that he wasn't looking forward to finding out what other 'things' were to come before Christmas arrived.

"What's that?" He asked, nodding to a stand that was filled with brightly coloured paper and bows and string.

"Wrapping station," Tony explained. "Some people either really don't like wrapping presents, or _can't_ wrap them, so they go there and people do it for them."

"Huh. So… I should do that? I wouldn't even know where to start."

Tony grinned. "I got you covered snowflake, don't worry about it."

"It's another 'thing'?"

"Now you're getting it."

They walked into a shop, or rather, Steve hustled them into a shop, oohing over all the different art supplies. Tony and Sam browsed happily enough while Nat stayed at Steve's side, pointing out different things.

Bucky felt a little at a loose end, not really sure what to do with himself. He slipped from the shop and took a seat on an empty bench just outside it. He wasn't really a shopping fan, and he couldn't think of anything he wanted that he didn't already have in the compound.

He startled when something cold touched his hand, and he looked down to see a small dog sniffing at him.

Bucky smiled, cautiously leaning down slightly to stroke the dog. He'd always loved animals before the fall, and even after everything that had happened, nothing brought a smile to his face faster than a cute little puppy.

Tony had introduced him to cute baby animal videos on youtube, and Bucky was slightly embarrassed by how much time he'd spent watching baby ducks fall over.

Bucky looked up, somewhat unsurprised to see Tony standing a little bit away from him, taking pictures of him with the dog. He shook his head fondly at Tony.

"What?" Tony asked with a shrug. "I find it very amusing that my murder kitten is turned into a puddle of mush by small animals."

Bucky huffed at the nickname but chuckled despite himself. "Stevie still cooing over the art stuff?"

"Course he is. He'll be in there til Nat finally gets bored. Come on, I'm craving ice cream."

"It's freezing."

Tony shrugged. "Hot fudge ice cream then?"

Damn him and his knowledge of Bucky's weakness for fudge. Bucky sighed. "Lead the way."

"Knew you'd see it my way."

…

Tony really didn't like ice skating. He didn't have good experience with ice skating, having fallen on his ass every single time he'd tried it in his youth.

Tony had long since decided that ice skating was not for him.

And yet. Ice skating in the winter, particularly near Christmas, was tradition. Sure, he could have asked one of the others to take Bucky. Actually, that's exactly what he _should_ have done. But… the thought of not doing the traditions when he'd made a promise that he would didn't sit well with him.

So. He'd done the next best thing. He'd snuck Bucky away from the compound without the others, deciding that at least this way, he'd only be falling on his ass in front of one of them, instead of all of them.

"You okay, Doll?" Bucky asked, eyes on Tony's hands, which were gripping the side of the rink very tightly.

Frustratingly, Bucky had taken to the ice with all the grace of a goddamn professional.

"I'm just fine," Tony replied. "Right here. Where I can _hold on."_

Bucky chuckled, skating closer. He laid his hand over Tony's, gently pulling them off the side. "Do you really think I'll let you fall?"

"It's not so much that you'll let me fall as I… cannot stand up properly in ice skates," Tony admitted. "And I've never not fell on my ass every time I've been on the ice."

"You never had me the other times. C'mon, Doll, I won't let you fall."

And… true to his word, Bucky didn't let Tony fall. He carefully guided him around the rink in slow, almost lazy circles. Tony felt bad for holding him back, but when he mentioned that, Bucky just rolled his eyes.

"I'm having plenty of fun, Tony, don't worry about it."

Tony tried to relax into Bucky's strong arms but it was impossible. Every time he tried, his legs tried to slip from under him and he had flashbacks of being sprawled in the middle of a rink with nobody there to help him up.

But… it wasn't completely horrible.

Still, Tony was not upset in the slightest when it was time to get off the ice and back into his normal shoes.

When they returned home, they found Steve in the lounge. "Where did you two sneak off too?"

"Ice skating," Tony grumbled, slumping onto the sofa beside Steve and immediately, burying his nose against Steve's warm shoulder.

"You don't like ice skating," Steve commented.

"No. No I do not," Tony agreed.

"He was like Bambi on ice, Stevie," Bucky said, sitting on Tony's other side. "It was adorable."

Tony was so proud of Bucky making a cultural reference that he couldn't even be mad at him.

…

Bucky wandered into the lab, smiling when he saw Tony seated cross legged on the floor, surrounded by different wrapping papers, sellotape, scissors and ribbon.

"Hey Buckaroo," he greeted cheerfully. "You fetch some presents down with you to wrap?"

Bucky nodded, holding up the carrier bag.

"Good stuff, come sit."

Bucky did as he was bid, sitting across from Tony on the floor.

"Kay, wrapping presents is fun if it's a square box," Tony said, nodding at a box beside him. "And then it's not so fun when it's a really stupidly shaped thing."

Bucky snorted.

He watched as Tony showed him how to do neat corners and perfect triangles, finishing the box with a pretty bow.

"DUM-E, gimme the other sellotape dispenser," he said distractedly, scoring the ends of the ribbon so they bounced back in a curl.

What followed had Bucky in absolute tears of laughter, clutching his stomach as his ribs ached. He didn't even know how it happened.

One second Tony had his hand out waiting for the sellotape, and the next minute, there was wrapping paper everywhere, sellotaped to Tony's head and a bow just above his ear, and DUM-E off to the side, beeping sheepishly.

Tony looked at the mess surrounding him and sighed.

"Or you know, gift bags are always an option."

…

"You'll freeze."

"Tony -"

"Nope. Put the hat on. And a scarf. And don't forget gloves."

Steve stared at Tony for a long minute and then acquiesced with a fond roll of his eyes, taking the hat and pulling it onto his head.

"You'll thank me later," Tony assured him.

"It has _ear flaps,"_ Steve muttered as he pulled on the rest of his winter gear.

They arrived at Central Park in enough time to find a decent place to stand, all huddled together against the biting wind.

"What is this, Antony?" Thor asked, looking around eagerly.

"A Carolling service," Tony said, bouncing on his toes. "People singing Christmas songs."

Thor smiled cheerfully and nodded. He looked particularly ridiculous in a hat stylised with puppy ears, but his happy disposition made the impossible possible and he was actually rocking it.

Tony turned his attention to the area that had been cleared in time to see a bunch of people filing out with large smiles on their faces. Moment's later and they were being welcomed to the service and invited to join in with the songs they knew.

Tony paid more attention to his teammates than he did the singers. Steve, Clint, Nat, Bruce and Sam had all been to such events before, but this was new for both Thor and Bucky.

Thor was enthralled. Tony watched him for a few minutes, a smile on his own face as he watched Thor enjoy himself.

Turning to look at Bucky, he found Bucky watching him.

"Do you like it?" Tony asked quietly.

Bucky nodded. "Yeah. I… yeah, this is real swell, Tony."

Tony grinned and then turned to watch the singers.

The service was lengthy, and by the end of it, Tony was frozen to the bone. He'd donned his own hat scarf and gloves, not to mention a very warm coat, and still he was cold. He shivered violently as they joined the throng of people leaving the park.

A moment later, he felt an arm around his shoulders, and he was pulled into someone's side.

Looking up, he saw Bucky smiling down at him. Tony smiled back and tucked his hand inside Bucky's coat.

Snow started to fall around them and Tony didn't think the moment could be anymore perfect.

…

Overnight, the snow had clearly picked up pace, and when Tony woke, it was to find the compound grounds covered in a thick layer of _white._

"SNOW DAY!" he shouted as he hurried into the kitchen, where the rest of his team were enjoying a rather more sedate breakfast.

"Nope," Bruce said, eyeing Tony carefully. "That is a _bad_ idea."

"But Brucie," Tony whined. "Team building."

"Nope."

"Steve, Brucie's being mean," Tony pouted.

"Probably for a good reason," Steve said, handing over a mug of coffee and a plate with bacon and eggs. "Sit, eat."

"Yes, Mom," Tony muttered. "And Bruce won't come and play in the snow."

"Will 'playing in the snow' include a snowball fight?" Steve asked, raising his eyebrow.

Tony was about to deny such a thing and then looked at Clint and changed his mind. "Almost definitely."

"Then I don't blame Bruce for not coming out in the snow. But. Compromise. Snowmen and snow angels first, snowball fight after?"

Tony looked pleadingly at Bruce who nodded. "I can do that."

"YAY SNOW DAY!"

…

When they returned indoors after hours playing in the snow like the overgrown children they absolutely were when given the chance, Steve ordered them all off for hot showers and warm clothes.

Done, Tony returned to the kitchen and began setting up the other activity he'd planned for today.

By the time the team joined him, he had bowls and bags of things placed all over the kitchen counters and the large table that they ate at.

"What's all this, Doll?" Bucky asked, leaning over his shoulders.

"Baking," Tony replied. "Christmas cookies are a gift from the gods, and Clint makes the best sugar cookies you'll ever taste in your life. Also, gingerbread houses. I cheated a little and had the houses premade so we can just decorate them."

Steve smiled at him. "That sounds great, Tony."

"Save me a house to decorate?" Clint asked, eyeing the ingredients Tony had already placed out for him.

"Course," Tony agreed.

With Bruce helping Clint with the cookies, everyone else sat down at the table, passing different sweets and icing tubes between them as they decorated their houses. Steve's was the most artistic, done in beautiful swirls and precise placements of sweets. Nat's was a little freer, and Sam's looked like a particularly enthusiastic six year old had been given a bowl of sweets and told to go wild.

"Yours is pretty, Tony," Bucky murmured.

Tony smiled up at him. "This is the way Ana always did it when I was a kid. I guess it just kinda stuck with me."

Tony's gingerbread house was classically decorated, with iced windows and a door, and a crisscross pattern on the roof.

Bucky's was a mix of Tony's and Steve's, and by the time they were all done, he was pretty proud of what he'd produced. Before he could say so, he was distracted by the way Tony and Steve were looking at him, both with fond amusement.

"What is it?" he asked, confused.

"Go look in a mirror, Buck," Steve replied, grinning.

Bucky did as he was told. "How… how the hell did I get icing in my _hair?"_

…

"You know, the icing would have washed out," Tony said, eyeing Bucky. "You didn't have to _cut it all off."_

"You don't like it?" Bucky asked, running a hand through his now short hair. Steve had been ecstatic when he'd seen the job Nat had done on it, had almost cried at seeing Bucky looking somewhat like he had before anything had gone wrong.

"I don't know," Tony admitted. "I liked the way you looked before. I like the way you look now. I just… like the way you look."

Bucky blushed but smiled. "I like the way you look too, Doll. You gonna tell us where we're heading? I thought you preferred staying in on Christmas Eve?"

"I do. And we will, later, but this is important too."

Bucky waited but Tony didn't say anymore and Bucky didn't push. He could see that whatever this was, it _was_ important to Tony.

Sitting back in his seat, he idly traced patterns on Tony's shoulder. He didn't comment when Tony leant into the touch.

…

"That was… certainly something, Doll," Bucky said, as the team piled back into the minibus a few hours later.

"It's nice to give back sometimes," Tony replied quietly. "I'm the worst for not thinking about the people less fortunate than me, especially at Christmas, you know?"

Bucky nodded, and Steve reached over the backrest to squeeze Tony's shoulder. "Thank you for fetching us, Tony."

Tony nodded and leant into Bucky's side, letting his head fall back with his eyes closed. Bucky followed suit. It had been an experience, volunteering at the homeless shelter. He'd been surprised when they arrived, not because he didn't think Tony did things like that, but more that he'd let them all see him in such a setting.

Tony often liked to keep a pretense of disinterest around him, an arrogance that put people off and made people think he was so much less than he was. It irritated Bucky that the idiots couldn't see through the somewhat flimsy mask Tony wore in an effort to protect himself.

Bucky didn't think he'd ever met a man like Tony. In fact he knew he hadn't. For all his faults, he was a kind, loyal, caring man who was more hardworking than anyone had any right to be.

In fairness, Bucky would love nothing more than to make everyone who'd ever been cruel to Tony pay with blood. Not that he would because _he didn't do that anymore,_ but it didn't stop him daydreaming sometimes.

"Thank you, Tony."

"Hmm? For what, Snowflake."

"For giving me back Christmas."

Tony smiled. "You never have to thank me for that."

…

"There are new pyjamas in your rooms, get in them and then assemble on the sofas," Tony ordered as they all entered the compound.

"What are we doing?" Sam asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Christmas Eve tradition," Steve said, smiling over at Tony. "New pyjamas that will be absolutely ridiculous but you have to wear them, the cheesiest Christmas movies ever, and Tony's special hot chocolate that is so good you won't even believe it's real."

Sam paused for a moment and then nodded. "Sounds good."

…

"How does this hot chocolate even _exist_?"

"Told you so."

…

Bucky woke up, shooting up into a sitting position, panting harshly. He'd had a reprieve from the nightmares for the past few weeks, but they'd returned with a vengeance.

He looked around the room wildly, the feeling of panic still coursing through him.

"Sir is awake, Sargeant," Jarvis said gently. "You're welcome to join him in the penthouse."

Bucky had found that it was easier to push away nightmares when he had company, and while he usually went to Steve, Tony kept such odd hours that it was sometimes easier to go to him, since he was already wide awake anyway.

He nodded and flung the quilt off him, grabbing a hoodie on his way to the stairs. He couldn't manage elevators after a nightmare, the enclosed space made him panic all the more.

He found Tony on the sofa, watching a movie on his widescreen tv.

"Hey," he muttered, lingering awkwardly by the door.

"Come on in, Snowflake," Tony murmured quietly, lifting one side of the blanket he'd been snuggled under.

At any other time, Bucky might have been embarrassed at the speed with which he moved towards Tony, sitting as close to him as he could without actually sitting on him. Tony put the blanket back down and leant into Bucky's side.

Usually, that would have been enough to help him settle, but Bucky could still see the nightmare/memory in his mind, and he couldn't relax.

"This isn't working," Tony muttered to himself. He got out from under the blanket and stood up. "Lie down, Snowflake."

Bucky stared up at him. "Why?"

"Just… trust me," Tony requested, and as panicked as Bucky still felt, he _did_ trust Tony, so he did as he was bid.

Tony approached him slowly. "After Afghanistan, Pep used to do this for me and it really helped."

That said, Tony deftly climbed onto the sofa and lay down on top of Bucky, pillowing his head on Bucky's chest. He reached out and snagged the blanket, pulling it over them both.

Oddly enough, the weight of Tony _did_ help. Almost immediately, Bucky felt grounded by the press of a body on top of his own. He matched his breathing to Tony's and raised his hand to stroke up and down Tony's back rhythmically.

When he felt Tony start to get heavier, he ran his fingers through the brunette hair. "You don't have to stay. I'm fine."

"You're on _my_ couch, Buttercup," Tony replied sleepily. "Besides, you make a good pillow."

Bucky snorted but let his hand fall back to Tony's back. He closed his eyes and within moments, drifted off to sleep, feeling safe with Tony's weight pressing him into the couch.

…

Steve was very chuffed with the art supplies Tony bought him for his Secret Santa. Tony grinned at him as he looked over each individual item with happiness.

"Thanks, Tony," he murmured. "This is amazing."

Tony nodded, more interested in opening his own present. He raised his eyebrow at Bucky when he saw what it was.

"A coupon book?"

Bucky shrugged, a light blush staining his cheeks. "Jarvis said it was something people made for people who could buy whatever they wanted for themselves."

Tony hmm'ed thoughtfully, smiling widely when he saw some of the handmade coupons inside.

"You're really gonna do Disney marathons with me, Snowflake?"

"Whenever you wanna, Doll."

"You're my favourite."

…

"I think most families still cook cook together at Christmas," Tony said, as they sat down at the large table. "And argue over the best prep for sprouts and… whatever else it is that people do in a kitchen, but… well. Can you imagine this lot trying to cook together? My Tower would be burnt down within an hour."

"What he means," Steve interjected cheekily, "Is that he's too lazy to actually cook so he called in the caterers."

Tony gasped, mock affronted. "It's on, Rogers. Next year, _you're_ cooking Christmas Dinner."

Steve's eyes widened. "Well, I mean -"

He was cut off by laughter around the table. Bucky shook his head at his best friend. He was still so _gullible._

…

"So, did you have a good Christmas?" Tony asked, curled into Bucky's side on the sofa. The whole team were still there, watching It's A Wonderful Life.

Bucky nodded and pressed a kiss to Tony's cheek. "The best. Thank you."

…

Bucky couldn't settle. After the run up to Christmas, when Tony was always _there,_ the days after Christmas were hell. Life was almost settling back to normal in the Tower, which meant Tony was holed up in his lab, working on the next big thing, whatever that may be.

Bucky hated it.

He wanted back the cuddles with movies, and the trips out of the tower and just… he just wanted Tony back where he could see him, talk to him, touch him.

"Just go down to the lab and see him," Steve told him, when he got fed up of his moping.

Bucky just scowled and shut himself away in his own suite instead.

…

"I'm not in the mood for a goddamn party, Steve!" Bucky growled, glaring at the suit his friend had hung on his door.

"It's New Years Eve, Buck!"

"I don't care that it's-"

"Tony's going to be there."

Bucky was in his shower before Steve finished the sentence.

…

Tony slipped from the ballroom with ten minutes to go until midnight.

It had been a good party, made better because his Team and Pep and Rhodey were all there to enjoy the last night of the year with, but Tony hadn't been a fan of the 'traditions' of New Year's eve for a long time.

While, in his youth, he'd never been bothered by strangers hugging and kissing him, he'd lived through enough bad things that they made him uncomfortable now.

He didn't need a stranger mauling him to let him know that a new year was beginning.

The cold breeze of the night felt good on his skin though, and he tilted his face up into it. It was really warm in the ballroom, the result of central heating and a lot of bodies around the room.

He heard the countdown and smiled to himself when the cheer went up, signalling the first of January. He could only hope that this year would be as good as his last.

He didn't think it could possibly be _better._

He let a few minutes pass by and was just thinking about heading back inside when a voice sounded behind him.

"You okay, Doll?"

Tony turned and smiled at Bucky. "Fine. Hot."

"Well, I know that," Bucky teased, crossing the balcony to stand beside him. "You missed the ball drop."

"I know," he replied, leaning into Bucky. "Did you get mauled by creepy old ladies with bright pink lipstick?"

Bucky laughed. "So that's why you hid yourself away out here. And no. I think the murderous glare was enough to keep them away from me. Stevie got swamped though."

Tony snickered unrepentantly.

"Are you coming back inside? The team were getting worried."

Tony looked up at him. "Is it weird that I've missed you this week?" he asked suddenly, his hand wrapping lightly around Bucky's wrist.

"Oh thank fuck you said that," Bucky muttered, shaking Tony's hand so he could wrap his arms around Tony. "I missed you so much, Doll. When you're not here," he squeezed him lightly in emphasis, "it doesn't feel right."

Tony let his head rest against Bucky's chest for a moment before he pulled back enough to look up at Bucky.

Bucky took the hint immediately, leaning down to press their lips together in a gentle kiss.

"Bit late, Soldier. Next year, we'll have to work on your timing," Tony said, when they parted, smiling up at Bucky.

Bucky pressed a kiss to Tony's temple. "Well, I'd hate to have been a cliche."

* * *

 **Written for;**

Advent Calendar - Day 10, Dialogue - "You don't have to stay. I'm fine."

Character Appreciation - 1. Animal Lover

Disney - T5. Genre - Family

Cookies Corner - 9. Doing something because it's traditional, rather than enjoyable

Showtime - 4. Pay

Buttons - O1. Hot Chocolate / D2. "I love this time of year." / W1. Snowball

Lyric Alley - 17. When you're not here

Angel's Arcade - The Protagonist - Changing Appearance / Best Friends / Loyal


End file.
